Mail-bag fastener.



No- 799,292. PATBNTED SEPT. 12, 1905. G. BAIN & J. O. BRADLEY. MAIL BAG PASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1.1905.

2 SHEETBSHEET l.

PATBNTED SEPT. 12, 1905.

G. BAIN & J. O. BRADLEY.

MAIL BAG FASTENER.

APPLIUATION FILED MAY 1. 190

Z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES FATFENT ()FFIGE.

GEORGE BAIN AND JAnlES O. BRADLEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MAIL-BAG FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 12, 1905.

Application filed May 1,1905. Serial No. 258,303.

To It u'im'nt it 7II/II/I/ concern/.- l Be it known that we, GEORGE Ban: and JAMES O. BRADLEY, citizens of the United States, residing at New York, in the county I of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in A'Iail-Bag Fasteners; and we do doclare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in fasteners for mail-bags; and the object of the invention is to produce a simple and efficient locking means which may be easily and quickly manipulated and so arranged that the bag may be securely locked.

The invention consists, further, in various details of construction and in combinations 2 and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described, and then specifically defined in the appended claims.

Our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of this application, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of an end of the bag, showing the flaps locked together. Fig.

is a similar view showing the flap open. Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the bag on line 3 3 of Fig. 1, showing in elevation the operative parts of the lock. Fig. i is an enlarged detail in section of the locking device. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the locking-rods, and Fig. 6 is a modification of the lockingrods.

Referenco now being had to the details of the drawings by letter. A, designates the bag, having a portion thereof extended to form a flap A, which carries the plates B, having staples or eyes B projecting therefrom. 1n terniediate said plates B is a slotted plate G, and C designates a similar slotted plate, which is fastened to the opposite edge of the bag and against which the plate 0 is adapted to be folded as the flap is turned over in the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Eyeplates l) are fastened to the edge of the bag beyond the ends of the plate C and are so positioned as to receive the eyes B when the flap is folded in the manner shown in the d raw in gs. 1

Fastened to the inner face of the bag upon the portion which is extended to form the flap are the two metallic casings E, in each of which is mounted a sliding plate E, having two hooks c projecting therefrom and parallel with the plate carrying said hooks. A spring Fis fastened at one end to said casing and its other end to said plate E and is designed 3 to normally hold the plate retracted within the casing.

Said casing has longitudinal slots H formed therein adjacent to the ends thereof 3 and through which slots the staples or eyes B are adapted to be inserted after being passed through the plates l) when the flap is folded over in the manner shown in the drawings. \Vhen the plates E are retracted within their shells, the free ends of said hooks are at corresponding sides of the slots in the casing to allow said staples to be inserted in said slots.

Pivotally connected to the inner end of each plate E are the links N, connecting the same with the bars 0, each of which has a sliding movement underneath the straps Q, which are fastened to the inner face of the bag. Each bar 0, the inner ends of which are cut away in order to allow the portions of said bars to overlap, carry the staples M, which when the two bars 0 are drawn together to their farthest limit will come into registration and in readiness to receive the washeror apertured plate S preparatory to the tongue of a padlock being inserted through said staples. It will be observed that when the two bars are drawn together and locked by the passing of a tongue through said staples the springs, one in each casing, will be under tension, and when the tongue of the padlock is released the springs will serve to retract the plates E within the casings, and the hooks carried by said plates will be disconnected from the eyes B and allow the flap to turn back, whereby access may be had to the bag.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings we have shown a slight modification of certain details of our invention in which the bars 0 are provided one with a socket end 0 and the other with a flanged end 0, the latter being adapted to be inserted within the former and automatically hold the bars in locked relation, thus dispensing with the staples and padlock.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A fastening for mail-bags comprising, in

combination with the bag having a flap on one side thereof, plates mounted upon said flap, eyes secured to said plates, slotted plates on the opposite edge to receive said eyes when the flap is folded, casings secured to the inner face of the bag and provided with slots, spring-actuated plates mounted within said casings and provided with integral hooks adapted to engage said eyes after said hooks have been inserted through said slots in the casing, movable bars having pivotal connection with said hook carrying plates, and means for locking the meeting 'ends of said bars together, as set forth.

2. A fastening for mail-bags comprising, in combination with the bag having a flap on one side thereof, plates mounted upon said flap, eyes secured to said plates, slotted plates on the opposite edge to receive said eyes when the flap is folded, casings secured to the inner face of the bag and provided with slots, spring-actuated plates mounted within said casings and provided with integral hooks adapted to be inserted through said slots in the casing and engage said eyes, bars, straps secured to the bag and through which said bars are guided, link connections between said bars and spring-actuated plates, staples carried by said bars, slotted plates one in said flap and the other in the opposite edge of the bag which are adapted to be brought into registration as the flap is folded and through which registering slot said staples are adapted to pass, and a washer adapted to hold said staples together in registration to receive the tongue of a padlock, as set forth.

3. A fastening for mail-bags comprising, in combination with the bag having a flap on one side thereof, plates mounted upon said flap, eyes secured to said plates, slotted plates on the opposite edge to receive said eyes when the flap is folded, casings secured to the inner face of the bag and provided with slots, spring-actuated plates mounted within said casings and provided with integral hooks adapted to be inserted through said slots in the casing and engage said eyes, bars, staples carried by said bars, straps secured to the bag and through which said bars have a play, link connections between the bars and said springactuated plates, the inner end of each bar being cut away to allow the inner ends thereof to overlap whereby said staples may be brought into registration, one with the other, slotted plates, one carried by said flap and the other fastened to the opposite edge of the bag, said slotted plates designed to be brought into registration to receive said staples, a washer fitted over said staples and adapted to receive the tongue of a padlock, as set forth.

In testimony whereof we hereunto affiX our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE BAIN. JAMES O. BRADLEY.

Vi tnesses:

JOHN F. HINDS, ULAFLIN WIGHT. 

